American Gold Prospecting Adventures
Hands-on gold classes on a claim at Bumble Bee and near Prescott, 1 to 2 hours from Phoenix
- What you do
- Gold prospecting class or metal detecting class, about 3 hours each
- Where
- Mostly Bumble Bee and the Prescott area, 1 to 2 hours north of Phoenix
- Group size
- Up to 4 people per class
- Gear
- All equipment provided for the day; detectors on request
- You keep
- All the gold you find
- When
- On demand, booked ahead; metal detecting from October to March only
- Fitness
- Very physical; not recommended with physical limitations
Fee dig: pay to search the ground on site
Native material: you search the natural ground on site.
Season: Year-round, on demand: book ahead.
Make a weekend of it
206 gold spots on open public land with no claim on record, within 50 miles.
There are more on the map, some of them with a possible mining claim.
About American Gold Prospecting Adventures
American Gold Prospecting Adventures, or AGPA, runs small-group gold classes in the hills north of Phoenix. The business started in New England. About thirty years ago its owners took their children on holiday to Scottsdale, panned for gold for the first time at Goldfield Ghost Town in the Superstition Mountains, and came home with a vial of gold and a case of gold fever. They went on to find gold in New Hampshire and began teaching, added classes in Arizona, and in 2019 moved to the state.
Most classes take place one to two hours north of Phoenix, on the company's claim at Bumble Bee or around Prescott, Dewey included. Nothing is scheduled in advance: classes run on demand for the date a group asks for, with a limit of four people, so most sessions end up being private. The meeting point is given at booking.
The gold class lasts about three hours. It covers where the gold in that area comes from and how it moves, how to read a river or a dry wash to pick a spot, how to dig, and above all how to pan, the step that decides how much gold you actually keep. The guides also show the other equipment used to concentrate and recover gold. Everything needed is provided for the day, and whatever gold turns up goes home with you. AGPA warns that its classes are very physical and are not recommended for anyone with physical limitations.
Metal detecting classes, also around three hours and capped at four people, run only from October through March; detectors can be supplied on request.
The company website keeps free beginner pages on finding a spot, panning and sluicing, and a blog of outings around Wickenburg, Bumble Bee and Dewey.
Clubs and places nearby
- Daisy Mountain Rock and Mineral ClubClub · 23 mi
- Lynx Creek Gold Pan Day Use AreaFree public dig · 26 mi
- Gold Mine Experience (Bloo Nelly Mine)Pay-to-dig · 27 mi
- Prescott Gem and Mineral ClubClub · 29 mi
- Lost Dutchman's Mining Association - Stanton CampClub · 33 mi
- Wickenburg Gem and Mineral SocietyClub · 37 mi
Where to buy gear nearby
- Rare Earth GalleryShop · 28 mi
- A & B Prospecting Supplies (Prescott Valley)Shop · 28 mi
- Nugget Shooter Metal Detector SalesOnline shop · 36 mi
- Dry Mining EquipmentOnline shop · 40 mi
Access
The meeting point is given when you book. Classes take place 1 to 2 hours north of Phoenix, in the Bumble Bee or Prescott area.
Technique
Panning, sampling and digging with hand tools; separate metal detecting classes (detectors on request). Physically demanding.